Llori Sharpe hones 'full gas' criterium skills with L39ION of LA in 2024

Llori Sharpe became the first Jamaican cyclist, male or female, to ride for a UCI road team when she signed with Canyon-SRAM Generation in 2022. To say that historical marker was a dream come true would be a little off the mark, as Sharpe told Cyclingnews that she applied for selection to the new team on a whim and was purely surprised when she was accepted to be part of the European-based road cycling team. 

She went from an intimidated freshman in the peloton to a confident competitor in season two, eager to capitalise with an “understanding of race dynamics and tactics”. This year, Williams Racing gave her the opportunity to race with L39ION of Los Angeles and focus on a North American schedule closer to her home in Jamaica. Plus, she seemed eager to leave a lot of four-hour road races and “terrible climbs” behind and focus on the one-hour criterium-heavy schedule in the US.

Sharpe won both the Jamaican road race and time trial national titles in 2023 and was second in the road race at the Caribbean Road Championships. In 2024 she’s already completed Valley of the Sun stage race and helped her L39ION teammates Alexis Magner and Kendall Ryan to two wins at USA Crits events - Ryan winning the Spartanburg Criterium and Magner winning the Athens Twilight Criterium.

Just 23 years of age, Sharpe spoke to Cyclingnews in Athens, Georgia, about teamwork, both on the bike for her new home at L39ION and off the bike at her true home in Jamaica, where she is proud to be part of a family business making life sweet with chocolate.

Cyclingnews: Once you were active as a child in swimming, which led to triathlons, what made you decide to focus on cycling?

Llori Sharpe: Yes, so my athletic career began in the pool (with a bit of track & field, karate, and a brief stint in ballet) when I was about 6 or 7 years old and has pretty much taken over my life since then. Competitive swimming was the first sport I took on seriously and that relationship lasted for around 10 years. Towards the latter part of my swimming career, my swim coach, at the time, suggested that I try my hand at triathlons and that's how cycling came into the picture. I competed in triathlons locally, regionally and internationally for about three years, but having sustained a knee injury that adversely affected running and slowly losing my love for swimming, cycling became the sport for me to focus on.

CN: Tell us a little about life in the Caribbean and how your family has supported you.

LS: Granted, everyone has their unique experiences, but for me, life in the Caribbean (Jamaica specifically) has been great and mostly easygoing. It would be remiss of me not to say that I grew up privileged, as I am fortunate to have parents who not only ensured that I was well taken care of, but supported me in any and everything - whether sporting-related or otherwise. Besides my parents, I've always been surrounded by a supportive environment of friends and other well-wishers both in Jamaica and abroad.

CN: What do you like to do when you are not on a bike?

LS: Making chocolate! As my Instagram bio says, I'm a cyclist by day and an ‘Oompa Loompa’ [reference to characters from the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory] by night...at least when I'm back home. My parents and I are the folks behind Chocollor Chocolate, a bean-to-bar craft chocolate brand in Jamaica. Running it is a true passion of mine. I'm truly proud of how much it has grown since my days of selling the chocolate we'd make for my classmates back when I was in high school to now being one of the leading local brands. [We are also] forming retail partnerships with several supermarkets/shops, pharmacies, hotels, gift curators, and cafes/coffee shops. 

Besides chocolate-making, I quite enjoy reading (my go-to genres are historical fiction and fantasy) as it puts me at ease and is typically how I wind down at night. Also, going for walks, especially when in new places so I can explore my surroundings a bit, and when our schedules allow, hanging out with friends.

CN: How did you land a spot on the Canyon-SRAM Generation team? Were you looking for an opportunity to race in Europe?

LS: Landing a spot on Canyon-SRAM Generation was completely random, and I honestly had no initial intention of looking for opportunities to race in Europe at the time. As for how it came about, in 2021, the team had posted on their Instagram page that they'd be starting a UCI Continental Team the following year and, in their bio, linked a form for applicants to complete, which I did as I had nothing to lose by doing so. I honestly didn't think too much of it until a couple of months later when I was contacted by the team's eventual DS, who said I had been shortlisted. 

Even though the team did say that Canyon-SRAM Generation aimed to provide an opportunity for underrepresented nations and regions in cycling, being shortlisted was still shocking to me, given the plethora of relatively more accomplished girls, especially in Latin America. In the same communication stating that I'd been shortlisted, I was also told to expect to hear again from the team as to whether or not I made it through another selection round. Sticking to their word, I was emailed about two weeks later and arranged to chat with the DS, however, to my surprise he was simply confirming that I was one of the eight girls selected, and the rest is history.

CN: How did you develop as a rider with Canyon-SRAM?

LS: Being with Canyon-SRAM for two years allowed me to grow as a competitor. Before signing with the team, I really only did local races and represented Jamaica regionally at the junior level. So, having raced in Europe with a much larger peloton (which was extremely intimidating at first), over time, my confidence in the bunch grew and also my understanding of race dynamics and tactics expanded.

CN: Now that you are with US-based L39ION of Los Angeles in 2024, what are your expectations and goals?

LS: I tend to focus more on goals rather than expectations, as the former is a bit more measurable, and more importantly, adjustable. As for a few of my goals for the season, I aim to be open-minded so as to learn as much as possible, be an asset to my team and, successfully execute race plans, and have fun while racing my bike.

CN: What made you excited about racing with L39ION of Los Angeles this year, in particular riding with a trio of solid performers like Alexis Magner, Kendall Ryan and Yareli Salazar?

LS: Although team camp was short, I had a great time, not only with L39ION, but the entire Williams Racing Devo crew. As for racing with L39ION specifically, I'm beyond excited to get going with the team's calendar and, in whatever way I can, play a part in the team's continued success alongside Alexis, Kendall, and Yarely.

CN: Speaking of Williams Racing Devo, a composite team at Redlands Bicycle Classic, you raced with Sam and Skylar Schneider. Tell us about that.

LS: Like all the races on my calendar this year with the team, Redlands is another first and besides the crit stage, its format isn't too dissimilar to what I got accustomed to while in Europe. WR Devo has quite a formidable squad. Of course, I always aim to give my best and to put myself or a teammate(s) in a fighting position for a top placement.

CN: Most of the US races you will be doing this year are first-time appearances. Tell us about your experiences at the USA Crits races.

LS: It's the first time doing Athens Twilight. Quite the experience! And quite a positive experience, of course, with Alexis [Magner] winning. So that's really exciting, and I think the team has done really well so far. We won with Kendall [Ryan] at Spartanburg, and I'm just excited for all that's left to come for the season. I'm truly enjoying being a part of this team, and I can't wait to race more with these girls.

CN: What do you like about the criterium scene so far?

LS: So coming from a European racing background, of course they are longer, almost three, four hours of racing, terrible climbs and all that. Crit racing is pretty much just full gas for the entire hour or 50 minutes. I think Athens has quite exceeded my expectations. 

I think I like the intensity, I like the atmosphere [of crit racing]. If people could see what I'm saying, or trying to describe here in Athens - the entire community is here, and that's such a great environment for racing. You're just surrounded by people who support the sport, just for the love of it, and for quality entertainment. And even though we're racing our hearts out, we're also racing to entertain the crowd. So we're glad to put on a show. I am glad to come to these different communities and just do what we do best - push the pedals on our two wheels.

CN: You took part in two of the USA Crits events as well as Greenville Cycling Classic. What stood out the most to you?

LS: I think Athens has quite exceeded my expectations. And it was also nice having some Jamaican people around here. So like, there's a set-up further down the course, and more people further up on the course. So it was nice, hearing the Jamaicans cheering me on during the race. I felt really supported here, and can't wait for next year.

CN: What event(s) are you most excited about racing with L39ION later this season?

LS: I can easily say that I'm excited about everything with all this being new. As for what I'm most excited about, that'll have to be Tulsa [Tough]! From the videos I've seen online to listening to others talk about the event's atmosphere, it's definitely what I'm looking forward to most.

CN: What will make 2024 successful for you a) on the bike, b) off the bike?

LS:  As long as I remain healthy, injury-free, and play a part in team wins and podium finishes, that'll be what I'd consider a successful year on the bike. As for off the bike, continued growth for Chocollor and to simply be happy and find joy in whatever I do.